Ren 77 Posted June 25, 2012 Posted June 25, 2012 So, with the school year ended you'd think I'd be sitting back, relaxing and enjoying my holiday. Well for many reasons that's not occurring BUT I wanted to share with you a bit about what I DO do in the summer.Now is the time to select music for next year's choir. I teach a private choir outside of my regular teaching job, and it's part of a larger organization of three full choirs, young, middle level and high school. I teach the young choir. For those of you familiar with children's choirs, we base our literature and choral tone on the Toronto Children's Chorus, a la Benjamin Britten, etc. etc. etc.Well, each summer I spend hours developing a concert program for the coming year that's both challenging for the students and stimulating for me - which can be a difficult task when some of the children are just reading full text on a page.Last year one of our challenge pieces was Nine Hundred Miles by Silvey. It was a stretch harmonically since it divides into 4 parts and they shocked me by being able to pull of parts of the song I was a bit hesitant about. It's amazing how hard a choir can work when they thoroughly appreciate the beauty of a piece and its compositional structure.I started a solfege class today with my co workers in the choir and we had GREAT conversation on what we'd like to include in our December concert. I was thoroughly pleased with the fact that they were in line with my thinking it was time for highlighting some children's choir/adult choir music from films/(books)!So here's our start - if you have an idea to contribute, I'd be glad to throw it on the table:Young ChoirSomewhere in My Memory (HA)The Road Goes Ever On (by Pradell)Middle ChoirDouble Trouble (HP)Young & Middle CombinedIn Dreams (LOTR)High School ChoirMay it Be (LOTR)Something for All the Choir's Combined?I'll probably also add Good King Wenceslas for my choir
Hlao-roo 390 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 "Strike Up Pipers" from Much Ado About Nothing?
KK 3,313 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 Try some of the stuff from Bruno Coulais' score for Les Choristes. There are some wonderful stuff to work with there for children choir. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXNYOvTSh5k (that was the a cappella version) I don't know how challenging the french would be though.And for high schools, Dry Your Tears Afrika is always a favourite (although arguably overplayed):
Hlao-roo 390 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 I think The Omen would be an inspired choice for a school choir.
chuck 155 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 Never Surrender/Arthur's Farewell is always a good workout for all involved. Or how about On Earth As It Is In Heaven by Morricone? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7oxSpUJP8w
Ren 77 Posted June 26, 2012 Author Posted June 26, 2012 oh yeah I've programmed Les Choristes many times. Gorgeous stuff. It's sort of a rite of passage for my groups to do Les Choristes music they ask for it every year. I have In Memoriam pulled for grade 8. Will look through the other things in a bitIm familiar with Dry Your Tears but not The Omen
Maglorfin 219 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 Rutter's Mass of the Children is a wondrous piece, both to perform and to listen to.
Ren 77 Posted June 26, 2012 Author Posted June 26, 2012 Rutter's Mass of the Children is a wondrous piece, both to perform and to listen to.;-) did it two years ago......Love the Benedictus.
Maglorfin 219 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 Bent P. Holbech - Missa RotnaPeter Schindler - Missa in Jazz
Quintus 6,495 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 Last year one of our challenge pieces was Nine Hundred Miles by Silvey.Have you thought about the 'shorter' Proclaimers version? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbNlMtqrYS0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Williamsfan301 12 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 Something for all the choir's combined?Exultate Justi or Dry Your Tears, Afrika? I think the former, more than the latter, if the combined group is the last group up. orAn easied up version of Hallelujah Chorus or something else from the Messiah?
Ren 77 Posted June 26, 2012 Author Posted June 26, 2012 Not into messiah right now. Trying to stick with the movie thing. Which exultati are you speaking of?
chuck 155 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 Not into messiah right now. Trying to stick with the movie thing. Which exultati are you speaking of?I think he meant from Empire of the Sun
KK 3,313 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 oh yeah I've programmed Les Choristes many times. Gorgeous stuff. It's sort of a rite of passage for my groups to do Les Choristes music they ask for it every year. I have In Memoriam pulled for grade 8.Nice. It's beautiful heartwarming stuff.Will look through the other things in a bitIm familiar with Dry Your Tears but not The OmenHe was joking (I hope), but if you really want your choir to go through with it, you're pretty much exercising devil worship my friend http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBZcf4GC2o8Unfortunately, I've come to know all the lyrics by heart....does that make me a bad person? And one question, are you getting your high school band or something to accompany your choir?
Quintus 6,495 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 Not sure if it's already been mentioned, but what about the hauntingly beautiful piece as heard at the end of Heavenly Creatures?
Maglorfin 219 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 Here's a great piece by a young Slovenian composer I've performed with several youth choirs already, the last performance being only yesterday!
Williamsfan301 12 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 Not into messiah right now. Trying to stick with the movie thing. Which exultati are you speaking of?The one JW wrote for Empire of the Sun. It's available. My wife is a choir director and one of her church choirs did it over the Easter season.
Ren 77 Posted June 26, 2012 Author Posted June 26, 2012 Not sure if it's already been mentioned, but what about the hauntingly beautiful piece as heard at the end of Heavenly Creatures? Thanks, will look after I get home...Not into messiah right now. Trying to stick with the movie thing. Which exultati are you speaking of?The one JW wrote for Empire of the Sun. It's available. My wife is a choir director and one of her church choirs did it over the Easter season.Will look when I get home!
Quintus 6,495 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 Don't watch that video if you've still yet to see that special little film! MASSIVE spoiler of a very powerful moment.
Omen II 1,300 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 Here are three random filmic suggestions from European composers: non nobis, Domine from Henry V (Patrick Doyle), libera me from Black Robe (Georges Delerue) and Here's To You from Sacco and Vanzetti (Ennio Morricone). I actually prefer the version of the latter with French lyrics.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TXaafRnGOg&hd=1
Quintus 6,495 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 I'll just listenJust play this instead: You probably already know the piece well anyway.(I've just realised the original version I linked to was a stupid spoof reenactment thingy)
Williamsfan301 12 Posted June 26, 2012 Posted June 26, 2012 Not sure if it's already been mentioned, but what about the hauntingly beautiful piece as heard at the end of Heavenly Creatures?[media=] Thanks, will look after I get home...Not into messiah right now. Trying to stick with the movie thing. Which exultati are you speaking of?The one JW wrote for Empire of the Sun. It's available. My wife is a choir director and one of her church choirs did it over the Easter season.Will look when I get home!It also has a part for djembe that you can get one of your kids to play. Pretty easy and, if you don't have a djembe, you can just do it on a snare drum with the snares turned off and played with hands instead of sticks.
Ren 77 Posted June 27, 2012 Author Posted June 27, 2012 Thank you everyone. I'm going to listen to these links once I get into bed. I'm very excited for this. No sexual innuendos boys...... ;-)This should't be too hard... Couldn't load it. Copying it now from the HTML quotes. Nope wouldn't load.Not sure if it's already been mentioned, but what about the hauntingly beautiful piece as heard at the end of Heavenly Creatures?Thanks, will look after I get home...Not into messiah right now. Trying to stick with the movie thing. Which exultati are you speaking of?The one JW wrote for Empire of the Sun. It's available. My wife is a choir director and one of her church choirs did it over the Easter season.Will look when I get home!It also has a part for djembe that you can get one of your kids to play. Pretty easy and, if you don't have a djembe, you can just do it on a snare drum with the snares turned off and played with hands instead of sticks.We gots djembes!I'll just listenJust play this instead: You probably already know the piece well anyway.(I've just realised the original version I linked to was a stupid spoof reenactment thingy)Just listened to this. This is a great piece for solfege. Wouldn't do it on concert with my choir but will write this out for warmups!Here are three random filmic suggestions from European composers: non nobis, Domine from Henry V (Patrick Doyle), libera me from Black Robe (Georges Delerue) and Here's To You from Sacco and Vanzetti (Ennio Morricone). I actually prefer the version of the latter with French lyrics.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TXaafRnGOg&hd=1Non nobis is a keeperLibera me is good will check with others. Here's to you not so much ....Here's a great piece by a young Slovenian composer I've performed with several youth choirs already, the last performance being only yesterday! I like this. Could you tell me a bit more about it? Its not from a film right?You've got to include this!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEoAP1sg1cUYES BLOOD. I'm transcribing it now. All the choruses want it but obviously the boys whose voices have dropped get it!
Quintus 6,495 Posted June 27, 2012 Posted June 27, 2012 Will you have to license this stuff or do schools not have to?
Jilal 681 Posted June 27, 2012 Posted June 27, 2012 You've got to include this!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEoAP1sg1cUToo bad it doesn't have the low voices at the beginning.
Ren 77 Posted June 27, 2012 Author Posted June 27, 2012 Will you have to license this stuff or do schools not have to?Uhhhhhhh no ;-). If we were cutting a CD to sell en masse definitelyYou've got to include this!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEoAP1sg1cUToo bad it doesn't have the low voices at the beginning.Our choirs would never be able to do the low low stuff. It's absurd. ;-)
Ren 77 Posted June 27, 2012 Author Posted June 27, 2012 Lolol. Seriously BB. This is my aspiration. One day I will be famous ;-)We will have a Cd and I can share with you guys it's just not available for the world you know?And you can ask me questions for an "interview"
Wojo 2,458 Posted June 27, 2012 Posted June 27, 2012 "Honorary member?" Good God, BB, this is your QUEEN!
Ren 77 Posted June 27, 2012 Author Posted June 27, 2012 What rules am I to abide by to be a member of the high council ;-) lol BB. You've been here since 2010?
Williamsfan301 12 Posted June 27, 2012 Posted June 27, 2012 Will you have to license this stuff or do schools not have to?Fair Use laws in the States say that so long as they don't record it, don't charge to get into the performance, and destroy the copies once the performance is over, They should be in the clear. But, that only counts if the piece is unpublished. If it becomes published at any time before the performance, they have to purchase those published copies.
Brónach 1,330 Posted June 27, 2012 Posted June 27, 2012 In my experience, the world of music learning is a world of lots of necessary document copying and document keeping that some sensible to that would do better keeping their noses out of it.
Ren 77 Posted June 27, 2012 Author Posted June 27, 2012 Exactly. I don't know how many times I've rewritten things for the kids.
BloodBoal 8,711 Posted June 27, 2012 Posted June 27, 2012 BB. You've been here since 2010?I've been on this forum for as long as I can remember. But 2010 sounds about right, yes.
Williamsfan301 12 Posted June 28, 2012 Posted June 28, 2012 Exactly. I don't know how many times I've rewritten things for the kids.Ditto. I've rewritten parts - hell for marching band I've re-written whole pieces. I've also never given out originals to students, especially percussionists, since I'll probably never seen them again. Always photocopies, which is ok, so long as they're being used for educational purposes - and you destroy them when you're done.
Ren 77 Posted June 28, 2012 Author Posted June 28, 2012 Exactly. I don't know how many times I've rewritten things for the kids.Ditto. I've rewritten parts - hell for marching band I've re-written whole pieces. I've also never given out originals to students, especially percussionists, since I'll probably never seen them again. Always photocopies, which is ok, so long as they're being used for educational purposes - and you destroy them when you're done.The band directors in mu district never give out originals but many times thy only have to copy single page parts. Choral music you read the whole score so copying is tedious and a waste
Williamsfan301 12 Posted June 28, 2012 Posted June 28, 2012 Exactly. I don't know how many times I've rewritten things for the kids.Ditto. I've rewritten parts - hell for marching band I've re-written whole pieces. I've also never given out originals to students, especially percussionists, since I'll probably never seen them again. Always photocopies, which is ok, so long as they're being used for educational purposes - and you destroy them when you're done.The band directors in mu district never give out originals but many times thy only have to copy single page parts. Choral music you read the whole score so copying is tedious and a wasteYup
Brónach 1,330 Posted June 28, 2012 Posted June 28, 2012 Exactly. I don't know how many times I've rewritten things for the kids.Ditto. I've rewritten parts - hell for marching band I've re-written whole pieces. I've also never given out originals to students, especially percussionists, since I'll probably never seen them again. Always photocopies, which is ok, so long as they're being used for educational purposes - and you destroy them when you're done.No! You store them and collect them in absurd amounts! You never know when they can be useful again!At least that's what we all did
Williamsfan301 12 Posted June 28, 2012 Posted June 28, 2012 Exactly. I don't know how many times I've rewritten things for the kids.Ditto. I've rewritten parts - hell for marching band I've re-written whole pieces. I've also never given out originals to students, especially percussionists, since I'll probably never seen them again. Always photocopies, which is ok, so long as they're being used for educational purposes - and you destroy them when you're done.No! You store them and collect them in absurd amounts! You never know when they can be useful again!At least that's what we all did LOL...yeah, then three years later, you're like "Why in the hell did I keep this crap?"
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